Special to the JTA Summit Appears to Be Moving to Successful Conclusion: Trilateral Joint Statement

September 14, 1978

THURMONT, MD (Sep. 13)

The Camp David summit appeared to be moving toward a successful conclusion, with Israel and Egypt expected to agree by late tomorrow on the continuation of peace negotiations and also to a statement specifying new areas of understanding. Informed conference sources told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency late today that there was “good reason to hope” for this favorable outcome and indicated American, Israeli and Egyptian officials were working on the text of a joint statement.

According to some informed predictions the three foreign ministers will jointly make the statement public, possibly tomorrow. The three heads of government may then appear jointly on television.

The favorable outcome of the summit was the result of an intensive effort this week by President Carter to persuade both Israeli Premier Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat of the merits of American compromise proposals on some of the disputed issues. The conference sources indicated to the JTA that the expected statement would by no means signal agreement on all the key questions. But it certainly did mean that some of the issues had been thrashed out through a commonly accepted conclusion.

Thus, the Camp David summit may very well succeed beyond the minimal hopes voiced before it began by Begin who spoke in terms of an agreement merely to continue negotiations. There is agreement on that–and also on matters of substance.

Begin is understood to have made significant concessions in the known Israeli positions, the U.S. delegation is understood to have steered Israel and Egypt around some of the controversial concepts–such as “sovereignty”–which have proved to be stumbling blocks in the past. Dan Patir, spokesman for Begin, told the JTA today that the Israeli delegation was “working for and hoping for” this successful outcome and he noted that all three delegations “were making efforts” to achieve it.